Running with JCT, Part Deux

LMAO Talk about an "R" Monster and the Jar head comes out from under his rock. LMAO Nice to see you are alive there Jarhead.

On another note though. As I was trying to leave the state of GA I had almost made it out of there but one of their scales was open and I got popped for a random LvL 3 driver inspection. The officer asked me what I was hauling and I said it is now frozen poultry and he looked up at me and said what? So I said poultry you know dead chickens. Well guess what he decided to put on the inspection sheet? Poultry you say? Nope how about DEAD CHICKENS. Guess Georgia DOT has a sense of humor after all.

View attachment 79885

Guess it could have been worse. Told the Wyoming DOT that I had dead cluckers on board and he thought I said dead f***k**s. Got a very odd look for that one. Though I am curious as to what safety will have to say about this one if they actually look it completely over.

 

I didn't know R trailers went on the Choo-choo too. I knew the I's did. I dropped a loaded trl at the Kearny, NJ drop yard and the MT the yard Manager (outsource yard) told me to get was an I and I didn't know any better (older, heavier, dinged up and had a Carrier - but fine where it counts), took it and loaded it and took it to Dallas. My DM had me deadhead to FTW yard and drop the MT and hook up to any other MT w/o an I because the I's are dedicated to RxR. Suited me. I got the miles at the shorthaul rate and got to ditch the heavy banged up dog for a real pretty newer and lighter one w/ a TK. I like the TKs better than the Carriers.

No monkey business tonight. Not the orange kind anyway. I gotta get my head screwed back on to business. Takes me a bit to do that. My body don't switch of and on like a light just because an electronic box says it's time to. My three or four still functioning brain cells need time to recomputulate and construct cohesive business thinking roads and activities on a different level than just driving safely and on time too. We got so many heads to get into this game to be successful and pull this rabbit outta the hat. I think sometimes there is so much more to this Gig than just numbers, relationships and turning the wheels; learning the various aspects of business, THIS business and this Business here at JCT. I often muse that the HUGEST asset we have is the Spirit and determination and dauntlessness to go along with the courage it took to make that leap of Faith we have. I truly believe that, but keep in mind folks; THAT battery needs recharging from time-to-time too. You gotta do what you gotta do to succeed and know how to keep the current of Business flowing, along with the myriad of other obligations we have and keep ALL of it a fresh carrot just the right distance from our noses to keep the Mule moving forward when the natural and normal occurrences of day-to-day life can and will fuzz that dream up a bit.

This post is just the Ole Aminal's way of hooking jumper cables up to the posts of his batteries. Just ignore me tonight - unless it helps you when you feel down and doubting. Then you should prolly ignore it anyway. LOL!! Been listening to Sirius Outlaw Country all day while running the old "Smuggler's Route" in the Texas desert along the Rio Grande from Laredo to El Paso to hook back up w/ 10 close to New Mexico on the way to Cali.; and they were speaking straight to my heart. Boy, oh boy did it bring back memories. That was a shore-nuff surprise and accident(?) when it was the classic Outlaw Country and a special tribute to Jonny Cash. That brought in Willie, Waylon, Kris, Ms. June and just go crazy w/ all the other Outlaws from back in the day. I just got Sirius (cause it was a free trial w/ my new truck) and I don't usually listened to Country. I used to back in the day; but been mostly a Classic Rock guy for the last 20 years or so. Grew up on the Outlaws, though and I guess that's why I eshewwed it. I struck out on a different path as I got into my late 20's. This day just seemed to touch me as a Driver, a Businessman and a MAN on a Dream Quest against all odds and connected me to a part of me I had Loved so much but put in a shoebox to suit others in my life at the time. So, overlook me tonight - more so than most; LOL. Writing and listening, and writing and listening - gets the atoms all lined up like they need to be, and re-juiced. Thanks a ton or ten for y'all's indulgences. Speaking of which; I heard a funny joke; Back at a bar in the 1800's as all this new science was hitting the newspapers; Guy says to another guy talking about this new science over a few beers: "I don't trust them atoms." "Why?" "They make up everything." Sooo . . . .

I am working on closing my books. Well, kinda. I have them up-to-date, so last year is actually closed; I just have to pull all the data from the General Ledger, Asset and Liability Schedules and Operational Breakdown pages over to a separate spreadsheet for the IRS and Tax filings. I track a whole BUNCH of stuff the IRS and my tax preparer could care less about. Consolidated Motor Carrier Services, LLC has four other divisions that marry with what I do here hauling as a JCT L/P Op and being a start-up totally Family business that all depends on me doing my deal w/ JCT: the books get complicated. We have a Transportation Division -me, Criminal Investigation (Homeland Security and Ports) - my wife, Transportation Brokerage (freight and insurance) - my daughter, Maintenance and Repair - my son and Transportation IT - my step son divisions.

July last year, when I signed on w/ JCT, was the official kick-off and big plunge for all of us, though we'd all been practicing each of our skill and expertise areas together doing side-work (all legal) as employees of other companies for two years, and me on mine for 17, LOL: Hey - I'M the one that has to carry the others til they grow to each division standing on its own feet. This was a much bigger decision than I have previously let on. Coming on w/ JCT is the first serious revenue and profit we began to generate, and everybody else went to part-time employees in their jobs to be able to devote the other time to their respective divisions of our Family Business and I work it full time and make sure each division is funded doing my do as the Transportation Services Division. It's working and we are all scraping by, but CMCS, LLC is viable and profitable and all of us are working hard toward each one of us being independent and self sustaining in our Divisions. Barely at times - LOL; but that's the nature of multi-divisional family businesses. Everyone is a stake holder, has some skin in the game but it's up to someone to be the Mule and carry everyone through their various learning curves to their own divisional profitability's, self sustenance and growth. Someone in the model has to generate the Lion's share of the revenue, til the others can catch up. Doing what I do in my area, that means doing what I have always done and stay gone and keep the wheels rolling; expenses WAY down and revenue up. Make up with work what money isn't quite there yet for. That means roll on and stay rolling on. I'm not complaining. I love it. Just gets a little emotionally taxing at times.

That's what we Dads and Dreamers do, though. Every start up is a huge challenge and needs a Good, Solid, Experienced Mule to carry the others through and push on through that winter that was way more severe than predicted, when others say it's time to toss in the hat or - you shouldn't even have started it until you have $XX,XXX.xx liquid capital set aside and can survive w/o X period of revenue . . .

Pretty sure ole Kevin Rutherford woulda beat me over the head and shoulders for tryin' this whole multi-divisional Family Transportation Business CMCS, LLC with $200 to our collective names, an arse load of debt, a CDL - all my experience, desire and a collective vision and dream. Had $300, but spent $100 on the incorporation and left Mrs. Aminal (yes Mrs. Aminal - we are married and "All In" TOGETHER; She's kinda ticky about that being her title as the equal partner; She don't abide by the PC title of Ms. for her. I don't disagree.) $100 and took the other $100 for myself to carry us through til the first settlement. KR would have a plum fit about whatever decision making paradigm went into me shoving all my Company Driver OTR stuff in the bus and spending $60 of my $100 to cover the extra Greydog freight. They called it baggage, it was freight though; just like me. To the Dog we ain't passengers. We just freight. We treat our freight a lot better than their drivers treat theirs though. That's for sure!! Plus they don't give a Tinker's Danged about bein' on time neither.

I'll have you know Mrs. Aminal and I got in a fuss about that cause she wanted to spend it outta her $100. I won. Prolly one of the only arguments I won. LOL. Chasing the first leg of a big dream as an LP Op with those numbers; and my whole Family's cash flow depending on me on an unknown and the keystone in the arch was whether or not I chose wisely or poorly with going with JCT (as well as a thousand things back home that needed juggling. LOL). Came down to trust, hard work and the HUGE risk that I chose the right Lease Partner.

So far, the books have black ink. Not a lot and the Fam and I are still making a lot of sacrifices, but that's what it takes for black ink. We got this, though. Slow and steady wins the day! It's working. The cash is there and the bills are getting paid. Hadn't been able to say that in a good while. Rough road getting to this point, though. Wonderful old Dave Dudley song: "There Ain't No Easy Run." He did it, since he wrote it, but Johnny Cash did a great version too. Then again, not much JC didn't do great. JC also did an outstanding version of the song most people know sung by Tom Petty; "I won't Back Down." I think the Outlaw I identified most with was Brother Waylon, though. We seemed to have had parallels with a lot of things. Him, Jimmy Buffet and a host of others wrote the songscript of my life as I was living it.

Now I get to write my OWN! All these years serving another Master as HIS slave. I guess it's my lot in life to BE a slave. I got no problem with that. In many ways that's all I've ever known. I finally have a shot at being my OWN slave, though, and that's as close to Freedom as you can get without nine or ten figures to the left of the decimal point in your annual income. Time to just be me and do the do I KNOW I can do!!

One thing about being on the bottom . . . there ain't nowhere else to go but UP!!! Up is just starting up and its been a long step hill with a lot of effort and not many resting spots. Tonight I rest in the desert and reflect on all the whys, and whos that made me what I know I am and can and WILL do!!

Peace out with love and blessings; Stay the course!!

All the Outlaws of my Youth echo in that ephemeral essence of my SELF:

Waylon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zne-mmKtFfQ (not the best video, but they got him great on vocal)

"I've always been crazy and the trouble that it's put me through
I've been busted for things that I did, and I didn't do
I can't say I’m proud of all of the things that I’ve done
But I can say I’ve never intentionally hurt anyone

I've always been different with one foot over the line
Winding up somewhere one step ahead or behind
It ain't been so easy but I guess I shouldn't complain
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane

Beautiful lady are you sure that you understand
The chances your taking loving a free living man
Are you really sure you really want what you see
Be careful of something that's just what you want it to be

I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane
Nobody knows if it's something to bless or to blame
So far I ain't found a rhyme or a reason to change
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane

JB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHAid_Ukub8&feature=player_embedded

Alone on a midnight passage
I can count the falling stars
While the Southern Cross and the satellites
They remind me of where we are
Spinning around in circles
Living it day to day
And still twenty four hours, maybe sixty good years
It's still not that long a stay.

We've gotta roll with the punches
Learn to play all of our hunches
Make the best of whatever comes your way
Forget that blind ambition
And learn to trust your intuition
Plowin' straight ahead come what may.

So what's it got me?

Two Continents of War, Peace and so-called "Conflicts"! Ambition lost somewhere between youth and survival. Dreams always survived. Funny thing about dreams. They tend to linger.

Oh well. Time for bed. I guess I can sleep well knowing my Dad didn't name me Sue.

He didn't have to. I made my own trouble enough.

So,: I think I'm gonna take the long walk across the sand/dirt/ rock lot and hoist a nice one to:

1. Dad for not burying me in the back yard when I turned thirteen;
2. Mom for stopping him when he broke out the shovel;
3. Gunnery Sargent Eugene Matusco, USMC for hitting me with a shovel when I needed to be hit by that cause something a LOT worse was about to hit a stupid Corpsman - and teaching me how to shoot and when to shoot; and when not to;
4. All those Jackarse Bosses I have worked for since I got back from the Central American Boonies, for showing me how NOT to do things.
5. To the US DOD for keeping all that stuff off books so we can't get benefits: Preciate it. Thankfully don't need it, but Hey; a deal's a deal. I made it. I can live with it.
6. The Good Lord for letting me wake up each day. Been a might dicey at times over the years but You always came through for me. Thanks.
7. John Christner for giving me a chance to make or break it - on my terms. HandSHAKE, not hand out or up. It' me and you and a deal. Thanks for being true.
8. Icehouse Brewery for not selling to Anheuser Busch. Miller was bad enough, but I get it. The lesser of the Two Weevils.
9. Bailey's Irish Cream for just being you.
10. Last and best because I remember a passage from one of the thousands and thousands of scriptures of all religions I read about Lasts being Firsts; My family and friends here. I don't make friends easily (shock) and when I do I treasure the friendship. So my first one at home will be for all y'all. Just got to get back home first.

Slight right to lighter.

Check this out and add it into the crazy mix of the songs of your life. Meant a LOT to me when I was a kid. Fun times!! They call me Baby Driver! And this isn't EVEN the best one! The Boxer . . . oh and Bridge Over Troubled Waters, my wife and Fam). A little Old School Fun though. MUST be played LOUD and with a playful mind though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtYQdRumxxc&noredirect=1

Nite all and thanks.

Seriously . . . Thanks

 

I worked for a regional carrier a couple years ago. We would pick up a trailer on Sunday night and pretty much always keep it all week long unless we had a drop/hook at one or customers' DC's. If we got a good one, life was good. If not, well...

 

Aminal's posts are a joy to read, the last one particularly so. There are many memories in that treatise... Thanks, driver.

 

Still living vicariously through you guys. I miss driving, but man.... I don't miss those blasted R-Monsters!

 

You know it's more fun when you live it yourself and you know you really miss and love those "R" monsters. LoL

 

Yuk. I miss those old dogs about as much as I miss the root canal I had when I was 16! HA!

Trust me, were it not for the need to be around with the 7 month old, not to mention the smart-mouthed 12 year old to "correct" his direction with some firm "persuasion", I'd still be out there.

 

I hear ya there got to make sure family is good and youngins growing up right.

 

It's more fun until you see the major ice-related accidents all over the country. Like I44 in Missouri...then, it's nice to be inside reading about it, hoping everybody is okay.

 

Yeah that's true that went on about 2 hrs from my house. Luckily there wasn't more deaths in those accidents.